"I thought you'd at least take one of them home with you. Miss Veronica or Miss Jane certainly wouldn't mind visiting your estate and enjoying the night view of Long Island."
Emma Frost walked slowly along a quiet, plane-tree-lined street with James, barefoot and carrying her high heels in one hand. From time to time, she teased him about the two Hollywood stars and their undisguised interest in him.
"If you weren't here, I might've taken them both home."
James said it with mock seriousness and winked at Emma. Though he'd occasionally presented himself to the outside world as a spoiled heir over the past few years, he really had become more spirited, like a young man.
It was as if the marks of age cycled through James.
"Then I'm sorry, Mr. James Howlett, for disturbing your lovely evening. Unfortunately, I can't go home with you just yet."
Emma turned toward James on tiptoe and smiled. She sounded as if she really were sorry.
James threw his head back and laughed heartily, joking with ease. "Why not—"
The hurried footsteps of someone behind them caught up. James cut himself off and turned to look at Barney, his driver, jogging over. Barney had been following them in the car from several dozen meters behind and wouldn't come forward to disturb them unless something important had come up.
"Sir, there's a call you need to take."
James didn't ask questions. He walked over to the limousine and picked up the receiver of the car phone.
Wireless phones weren't yet widely available in this era, but thanks to the Howlett Family's cutting-edge research, certain special and important fields could already use wireless communication, albeit with some restrictions.
"This is James Howlett. Understood."
He hung up and paused for a few seconds. Emma had